Carlson barrel for Benelli Nova

[zaitcev]

I'm thinking about trying sporting clay, but all I have is a Nova with a short cylinder barrel. Local club allows 26" and longer barrels. So I thought about buying a new barrel for the Nova, but apparently factory barrels are not available. Midway has Carlson brand barrel for about $300. Are those any good?

I'm open to other suggestions. Should I just sign up for a back-in-stock list somewhere for factory barrels and be patient? Or is it hopeless?

 

[Armored farmer]

IMHO I would barrow a sporting clays gun and shoot a few rounds first. Unlike trap, only one shooter is on the stand at a time. A gun is easily shared.
Suit yourself, but if you have a sporting clays range nearby. You could easily end up wanting a dedicated clays gun...you had just as well spend money towards the end goal as a stop-gap.
Sporting clays are like certain other activities in life....Im sure that you're gonna like it before you ever try it!........and probably want to do lots more of it!

 

[cdb1]

Carlson is an outstanding company in my opinion and experience. Their products are excellent and so is their customer service.

 

[rbernie]

Midway has Carlson brand barrel for about $300. Are those any good?

I've used Carlson on other brands of shotguns and been happy. Looking at the Midway description, it looks like it uses the Benelli chokes (which is good).

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

$300? for that I think I would just buy a whole nother Nova for $400.

 

[SwampWolf]

^^^ Exactly what I was thinking!

 

[jmr40]

If you're serious about sporting clays you will be at a serious disadvantage with a pump gun. Borrow a gun from someone, or as another suggested 2 or more people can shoot the same gun on a clays course. If you like it, you'll probably end up with a semi-auto.

 

[entropy]

A TriStar Raptor or Viper will be a better investment than even another Nova, and certainly better than a barrel for your current Nova.
They are Beretta 300 series clones, and unlike their low end SxS and O/U's, they are well made and a good value.

 

[DustyGmt]

I've always hated the idea of spending more on a barrel than what you can pay for a gun, which in alot of cases, with shotguns I guess especially, is common. I was looking for a couple barrels a while back for a mossberg and a 870 and the barrels were more than the guns typically cost. Not even special barrels either, just regular, cyl bore 18" barrels from Carlson.

I found what I was looking for in the used section for a fraction of the cost. Same could be said for a run of the mill AR barrel. You can easily spend $300+ on a run of the mill FN 16" bbl and if you paid just a few dollars more buy an entire complete AR from PSA with an FN bbl on it.

Think long and hard before spending 3 bills on a barrel for your Nova. If I was you I'd try to find a Remington 870 with 26"-30" bbl on it for around $300-$500. I can say from experience that they are excellent. Not even as entry level, they are just good at busting clays. Find yourself an express or if you're lucky, a Wingmaster and you're in business. If you wind up not taking to busting clays, you should be able to repurpose the shotgun or sell it and break even.... just my opinion.

 

[ExtremeSquared]

Wait for factory stock? Have you priced factory nova barrels?
The Nova/SN is one of the best pumps... until you need to buy a part/accessory for one.

I do have a Carlson's 28 for the SN, and it seems decent. Joeboboutfitters had them cheapest when I got mine.
If I remember right, the chokes it takes are "Beretta/Benelli Mobil".

 

[kwb377]

Might be an option, depending on condition...

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